1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image retrieval system which, through an input of a predetermined retrieval code thereto, is capable of retrieving an image corresponding to the retrieval code from a film in the form of a roll and of projecting or copying the retrieved image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, map retrieval systems have been conceived in which detailed maps (partial maps) of a specific area map are recorded in advance and which are adapted to retrieve and display a corresponding detailed map from among the prerecorded detailed maps by selecting that detailed map on a screen on which the entire specific area is displayed.
These conventional systems employ a digitizer for converting an arbitrary position on a plane into digitized coordinates and are arranged such that a map displaying the aforementioned entire specific area is placed on a flat surface of this digitizer, and a position corresponding to a detailed map to be retrieved is designated so as to detect an electric field, a magnetic field or the like by means of a cursor, thereby specifying that position. As a result, the detailed map can be retrieved quickly and can be displayed on the screen. As for a microfilm for recording an image, a microfiche is generally used in correspondence with a planar (two-dimensional) map.
However, the above-described extended systems for microfilm retrieval and optical disk systems are inappropriate as systems applied to small-scale areas in terms of price and system control. In addition, there are drawbacks in that, since the systems are designed for versatile operations, the systems are provided with unnecessary operating portions and the positions of operating portions necessary for map retrieval are dispersed, with the result that their operating efficiency is poor.
In addition, image recording apparatuses which are capable of easily recording images by photographing them in the frames of a microfilm in the form of a roll and of projecting the recorded images onto a screen or the like or copying them on copy paper are known from Japanese Patent Publication No. 22744/1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,566, Japanese Patent Publication No. 27446/1974, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 45635/1978, etc. The aforementioned apparatuses are arranged with a compact body, and have the advantage that documents can be microfilmed for storage and can retrieve a necessary document in a simple operation.
With these apparatuses, however, since the retrieval of a document is effected by the input of a predetermined retrieval code by means of keys, the apparatuses do not have the function of retrieving a detailed map through a designation on the aforementioned specific area map. Accordingly, the apparatuses cannot be applied as they are as map retrieving systems. In addition, since the film in the form of a roll is used, images can be recorded only in one row (one-dimensionally), so that a planar map as it is cannot be recorded planarly.